ItwasthesamewithourfathersinthetimeoftheGreatCivilWar。WearebynomeansunmindfulofthegreatdebtwhichmankindowestothePuritansofthattime，thedeliverersofEngland，thefoundersoftheAmericanCommonwealths。Butinthedayoftheirpower，thosemencommittedonegreatfault，whichleftdeepandlastingtracesinthenationalcharacterandmanners。Theymistooktheendandoverratedtheforceofgovernment。Theydetermined，notmerelytoprotectreligionandpublicmoralsfrominsult，anobjectforwhichthecivilsword，indiscreethands，maybebeneficiallyemployed，buttomakethepeoplecommittedtotheirruletrulydevout。Yet，iftheyhadonlyreflectedoneventswhichtheyhadthemselveswitnessedandinwhichtheyhadthemselvesborneagreatpart，theywouldhaveseenwhatwaslikelytobetheresultoftheirenterprise。Theyhadlivedunderagovernmentwhich，duringalongcourseofyears，didallthatcouldbedone，bylavishbountyandbyrigorouspunishment，toenforceconformitytothedoctrineanddisciplineoftheChurchofEngland。NopersonsuspectedofhostilitytothatChurchhadthesmallestchanceofobtainingfavourattheCourtofCharles。
Avoweddissentwaspunishedbyimprisonment，byignominiousexposure，bycruelmutilations，andbyruinousfines。AndtheeventhadbeenthattheChurchhadfallen，andhad，initsfall，draggeddownwithitamonarchywhichhadstoodsixhundredyears。ThePuritanmighthavelearned，iffromnothingelse，yetfromhisownrecentvictory，thatgovernmentswhichattemptthingsbeyondtheirreacharelikelynotmerelytofail，buttoproduceaneffectdirectlytheoppositeofthatwhichtheycontemplateasdesirable。
Allthiswasoverlooked。Thesaintsweretoinherittheearth。
Thetheatreswereclosed。Thefineartswereplacedunderabsurdrestraints。Viceswhichhadneverbeforebeenevenmisdemeanoursweremadecapitalfelonies。ItwassolemnlyresolvedbyParliament\"thatnopersonshallbeemployedbutsuchastheHouseshallbesatisfiedofhisrealgodliness。\"ThepiousassemblyhadaBiblelyingonthetableforreference。Iftheyhadconsultedittheymighthavelearnedthatthewheatandthetaresgrowtogetherinseparably，andmusteitherbesparedtogetherorrooteduptogether。Toknowwhetheramanwasreallygodlywasimpossible。Butitwaseasytoknowwhetherhehadaplaindress，lankhair，nostarchinhislinen，nogayfurnitureinhishouse;whetherhetalkedthroughhisnose，andshowedthewhitesofhiseyes;whetherhenamedhischildrenAssurance，Tribulation，Mahershalal—hash—baz;whetherheavoidedSpringGardenwhenintown，andabstainedfromhuntingandhawkingwheninthecountry;whetherheexpoundedhardscripturestohistroopofdragoons，andtalkedinacommitteeofwaysandmeansaboutseekingtheLord。Theseweretestswhichcouldeasilybeapplied。
Themisfortunewasthattheyweretestswhichprovednothing。